A FACULTATIVE THERMOPHILIC THIOBACILLUS-LIKE BACTERIUM: OXIDATION OF IRON AND PYRITE
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Issue Date
1977-07Submitted date
2020-06
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A rod-shaped microbe, isolated from an Icelandic thermal spring grows well at 50° C and oxidises metal sulphides e.g., pyrite (FeS,), pentlandite ((NiFe) SQ) and chalcopyrite (CuFeS,). Initial isolation on a modified ferrous iron medium at pH 3.6 and 60° C indicated that the bacteria were capable of oxidising ferrous iron but that growth was poor. For good growth on sulphide minerals, yeast extract is a requirement. This paper reports on the oxidation of soluble ferrous iron and pyrite by this microbe. The microbe grows slowly at 30° C using ferrous iron but does not grow on pyrite; growth on the latter substrate begins at 40° C. Growth on iron occurs at 50° C, but not at 55° C; growth on pyrite is present at 55° C but not at 60° C. The microbe grows using sulphur as an energy source. The thermophile also grows when yeast extract provides the only apparent energy source. Pyrite-grown cells were used for manometric experiments. Using ferrous iron, the oxygen uptake was non-linear, decreasing with time; the rate increased with increasing pH from 1.3 to 3.2 and also increasing ferrous iron concentration to 8] mM Fe(II). The rate then remained the same at 111mM Fe(II). Using pyrite, the oxygen uptake was linear, the rate being a maximum at pH 2.6. Oxidation of pyrite was slight at pH 1.1 and 3.5. The greatest rate of pyrite oxidation occurred with 100 g c pyrite, the largest concentration tested. Oxygen uptake during the manometric tests with ferrous iron was not greatly affected by the absence of yeast extract; pyrite oxidation was slightly greater without yeast extract. The relevance of the activity of this microbe to biohydrometallurgy is discussed.Affiliation
Department of Biology, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Socorro, NM 87801, USA; Department of Industry, Warren Spring Laboratory Stevenage, Hertfordshire SG] 2BX, EnglandType
Book chapterconference paper
Language
en_USCollections
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